flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Precast concrete used for affordable, sustainable housing in New York

Precast concrete used for affordable, sustainable housing in New York

Largest affordable housing development in the nation will provide housing for close to 500,000 people. 


By By BD+C Staff | March 27, 2012
This is the 5th total precast concrete building solution that Blue Sea Developme
This is the 5th total precast concrete building solution that Blue Sea Development, the developer, and Oldcastle Precast have wo

As part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s $7.5 billion New Housing Marketplace Plan to provide affordable housing for 500,000 New Yorkers, Oldcastle Precast provided structural precast concrete building components for the new development at Forest Houses in New York.

It is part of the largest municipal housing plan in the nation.

The development at Forest House is a “green” and energy saving designed, precast concrete building, manufactured by Oldcastle Precast, containing 124 affordable units available to households making 60% of the AMI or less. The 109,000-sf building also contains a superintendent’s unit, landscaped open space, and 43 underground parking spaces under the first level and features a unique rooftop, commercial greenhouse that will yield 80,000 to 100,000-lb of fresh produce a year and be distributed to residents and local markets in the Bronx.

Oldcastle manufactured 136,162-sf of precast concrete hollow core plank for the floors and roof, which was specifically design to handle the unique load of a roof top greenhouse and 70,000-sf of precast concrete wall panels to construct an energy efficient building envelope for the eight-story Forest House Development building. The exterior precast walls were cast with Glen-Gery thin-brick and sandblast type finish with colored concrete to provide a comprehensive exterior finish.

In addition to the housing structure, a Storm Capture Reuse System was installed to handle approximately 16,000 gallons of captured water. An equipment package treats the captured water making it available for irrigation to the roof-mounted hydroponic greenhouse, providing another unique feature to this environmentally friendly project.

This is the 5th total precast concrete building solution that developer Blue Sea Development and Oldcastl  have worked together on in the past 10 years.

The development team consists of Blue Sea Development Co., Blue Sea Construction Co., LLC, ABS Architects and TY Lyn International. The team was selected due to its history of developing quality affordable housing that is both attractive & sustainable. The project is scheduled for completion December 2012 and is seeking LEED Certification. BD+C

Related Stories

Giants 400 | Aug 5, 2015

ENGINEERING GIANTS: Profits, revenue on the rise at U.S. engineering firms as economy sputters back to life

The vast majority of engineering firms are decidedly bullish on revenue growth for 2015, and profitability is nearing a six-year high, according to BD+C's 2015 Giants 300 report.  

Giants 400 | Aug 4, 2015

GIANTS 300 REPORT: Top 64 Architecture/Engineering Firms

Stantec, HOK, and Callison RTKL top Building Design+Construction's 2015 ranking of the largest architecture/engineering firms in the United States. 

Giants 400 | Aug 4, 2015

GIANTS 300 REPORT: Top 106 Architecture Firms

Gensler, Perkins+Will, and Kohn Pedersen Fox top Building Design+Construction's 2015 ranking of the largest architecture firms in the United States. 

Giants 400 | Aug 4, 2015

ARCHITECTURE GIANTS: 21 practice management innovations from architecture Giants

Design firms have gone all out with management innovations in the last year. Check out which ones might work for your firm.

Architects | Aug 4, 2015

Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture closer to independent incorporation

The school is halfway to its first fundraising milestone, but is facing a major deadline at end of this month.

Industrial Facilities | Aug 3, 2015

Architect Jacques Rougerie envisions floating city to function as roving laboratory

The manta ray-shaped vessel will be completely self-sustaining, run on marine energy, and produce no waste. 

Cultural Facilities | Aug 3, 2015

Funding needed for Washington's Desert Storm memorial

 The National Desert Storm Memorial Foundation has a $25 million goal for the project.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 31, 2015

Zaha Hadid responds to Tokyo Olympic Stadium controversy

“Our warning was not heeded that selecting contractors too early in a heated construction market and without sufficient competition would lead to an overly high estimate of the cost of construction,” said Zaha Hadid in a statement.

Architects | Jul 30, 2015

The Lego Architect: Book offers simple how-to steps for recreating iconic buildings with Legos

The book features famous buildings accompanied with a photograph and drawing of the Lego model of the building, and a list of all the Lego pieces needed to complete a model of the building.  

Transit Facilities | Jul 30, 2015

Snøhetta designs ring-shaped cable car station in Italian Alps

In Snøhetta’s design, two cylindrical rings embedded into the existing topography, each at different elevations, will be connected by a cable car. During the minute-long cable car journey, passengers can enjoy views of the city and of the Italian Alps.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021